


Placemat Problems

by crescentStarlight



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Dinner, M/M, Post-Sburb/Sgrub, placemats
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-03
Updated: 2012-12-03
Packaged: 2017-11-20 05:40:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/581895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crescentStarlight/pseuds/crescentStarlight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Who knew that such a fuss could be created over something like placemats?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Placemat Problems

**Author's Note:**

> To Abi, a long overdue gift request! She requested JohnKat and the prompt Placemats. Enjoy!
> 
> (I write so much sap)

“John, I know you humans have some very odd customs, but why the fuck are we putting these...garish things on the table? I'd have to fucking look at it every time I looked down and then I would end up emptying my stomach every time I saw it and that completely fucking destroys the point of dinner and why do you even fucking get these ideas..."

John tuned out his matesprit-boyfriend as he put the placemats on the table. A month after all the trolls and humans beat Lord English once and for all and created their new universe, a decision was made for each hive-household to host a dinner party on every weekend. Karkat had even attempted to draw out the schedule, but Dave sabotaged it. And although it was funny, Rose and Kanaya couldn't seem to stop laughing and saying how ironic it was. Kanaya went back in and created the schedule again. John went and personally asked to be first just to get an upper hand against Jane who, undoubtedly, wanted to go first and start baking again. 

Karkat had helped make things like the salad and began setting up the tables and chairs for all twenty humans and trolls while John took over the main courses. Once all the food was placed into their respective dishes and on the table, plates and utensils had to be placed. And of course, the placemats too. Of course, John wanted everything to be special, so he alchemized placemats with indicators as to whom it belonged to. John's, of course, was blue, had the breath symbol on one side and his precious slime ghost on the other. It worked in a similar manner for the rest of the kids. The trolls simply replaced the kids' shirt picture with their symbol.

In a fit of sheer genius, John made Karkat's bright red. 

Once John had arranged his (beautiful) placemats so that everyone would get along with who they were sitting next to, he turned around...and found that Karkat was nowhere to be seen.

He's probably gone back into the treehouse again...

When they created their new house, John made sure to put a big tree with a suitably big treehouse. Karkat had ranted about the ridiculousness of a separate hive in a tree- "As if Terezi's tree hive wasn't enough, now we have to fucking have one too?"- but ended up growing fond of it. It was, as John called it, "Karkat's Sulking Corner." Sure enough, Karkat had retreated to his usual hiding spot. 

But Karkat only went there when he was angry or upset with John. Not normal angry, but real angry.

John climbed up and peeked in. Karkat was curled up in a corner, knees pulled up to his chest. Quietly, the Heir of Breath made his way over to his Knight and sat down beside him. They sat silently for a few minutes. John fiddled with his sleeve. It seemed to last forever before Karkat finally began speaking.

"Y'know, we did have those things on Alternia. Nutrition plateau rugs. They were always grey. Only the picky trolls and the highbloods used them. The rest of us either couldn't afford them or just didn't care. Crabdad had some in case we had guests, but the only trolls who ever came over were Gamzee, Sollux, and a couple others."

John was silent throughout the tirade. He voiced the question that replayed through his mind.

"Then why did you freak out like that?"

Silence fell again. And when Karkat began speaking, his voice seemed tighter than usual.

"You put everyone's blood color on them."

Silence again.

"It's not as if everyone doesn't already know I'm a fucking mutant. That was pretty fucking apparent during the final battle, what with everyone getting hurt. But nobody mentioned it. Everyone ignored it. And I was fine with that." He buried his face even farther into his knees and his hand clenched into a fist. John gently placed his own hand on Karkat's. 

"But this...this is like actually telling everyone my blood color. It's like telling them I'm fucking okay with it. But even when I'm surrounded by humans with the same color blood as mine..."

As Karkat trailed off, John finished the sentence for him. "You're still not entirely comfortable with broadcasting it to the world." Karkat nodded silently.

The blue eyed boy scooted closer to his boyfriend and wrapped his remaining arm around Karkat. 

How could I have been so insensitive? Karkat's blood color is one of the things he's most insecure about, and everyone knows that. I know that. 

"Karkat, I'm so sorry. Do you want me to change yours to grey, or just get some generic ones with fruits or flowers on them, or-"

John was suddenly papped on the mouth. "No John. Those nutrition plateau rugs are good. You wanted everyone to have something special from our first get together. I might as well get this flashing my blood color to the entire world thing done and fucking over with right now. I've hidden it long enough."

John lifted his hand off of Karkat's to lift the troll's head off of his legs and towards himself. Bits of red were collected at the corner of the yellows. His grey irises had rings of red starting to surround his pupils. His blood color coming in. It wouldn't matter what color shirt he wore or what color he typed in, his eyes would announce his blood color to anyone who looked. 

He wants to show the others before his body shows them. 

John leaned over to touch his lips to his boyfriend's. Karkat's knees lowered and his grey hands went straight to his matesprit's face. It was obvious that, despite the bravado, Karkat was scared to death, from his shaking hands to the desperate way he kissed. John wrapped his hands around Karkat's shoulders to bring him closer. 

"Hey, you lovebirds done smooching in your nest?"

Dave's call from below made Karkat jump away. He rubbed at his face to make sure his tears were gone and looked out the window to hold up a certain finger and shout, "Fuck you Strider!" The troll scrambled to climb down the ladder but hesitated. John knew exactly what he wanted. The Hero of Breath gently took his boyfriend's hand to climb down the ladder together. Secrets out or not, they would be alright.


End file.
